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BOOK  SELECTION 


BY 

ELVA  L.  BASCOM 


PREPRINT  OF 

^lANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

CHAPTER  XVI 


78  E.  WASHINGTON  ST.,  CHICAGO 
1915 


A.L.A.  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 


Types  of 
Libraries 

I. 

IL 
III. 
IV. 


VI. 

VII. 

VIII. 


Chapters  and  Authors 

"American  Library  History/'  Mr.  Bolton.    Printed. 
"Library  of  Congress,"  Mr.  Bishop.    Printed. 
"The  State  Library,"  Mr.  Wyer.    Printed. 
"The  College  and  University  Library,"  Mr.  Wyer. 

Printed. 
"Proprietary  and  Mercantile  Libraries,"  Mr,.  Bolton. 

Printed. 
"The  Free  Public  Library,"  Miss  Lord.    Printed. 
"The  High-School  Library,"  Mr.  Ward.    Printed. 
"Special  Libraries,"  Mr.  Johnston.    Nearly  ready. 


Organization 

and  Administration 

IX. 

X. 

XL 

XII. 

XIII. 

XIV. 

XV. 

XVI. 
XVIL 

XVIII. 

XIX. 
XX. 

XXI. 

XXII. 

XXIII. 

XXIV. 

XXV. 

XXVI. 

Special  Foi 
of  Worls: 

XXVII. 


"Library  Legislation,"  Mr.  Yust.    Printed. 
"Library  Architecture,"  Mr.  Eastman.    Printed. 
"Fixtures,  Furniture,  Fittings."    Unassigned. 
"Administration,"  Dr.  Bostwick.    Printed. 
"Training  for  Librarianship,"  Miss  Plummer.    Printed. 
"Library  Service,"  Dr.  Hill.    Printed. 
'BranchyUHiMftttiiAAihii^ttili^^'^^^g  Agencies," 

MM " 

•inted. 
lent,"   Mr.  Hopper. 


"Classia^iSillBSiliiSifiUI^N.    In  hands  of  Committee. 
"TheCat„__.       __.---_-. 
"Shelf  Department,"  Miss  Rathbone.    Printed. 
"Loan  Work,"  Mr.  Vitz.    Printed. 
"Reference  Department,"  Dr.  Richardson.    Prmted. 
"Government  Documents,"  Mr.  Wyer.    Printed. 
"Bibliography,"  Miss  Mudge.    Now  in  hand. 
"Pamphlets,  Clippings,  Maps,  Music,  Prints."    Unas- 
signed. 
"Bookbinding,"  Mr.  Bailey.    Printed. 


XXVIIL 

XXIX. 

XXX. 

XXXL 

XXXII. 


"Library  Commissions  and  State  Library  Extension,  or 

State  Aid  and  State  Agencies,"  Mr.  Wynkoop. 

Printed. 
"The  Public  Library  and  the  Public  Schools,"  Mr.  Kerr. 
"Library  Work  with  Children,"  Miss  Olcott.    Printed. 
"Library  Work  with  the  Blind,"  Mrs.  Delfino.    Well 

advanced. 
"Museums,  Lectures,  Art  Galleries,  and  Libraries," 

Mr.  Rae.    Now  in  hand. 
"Library  Printing,"  Mr.  Walter.    Printed. 


http://www.afGhive.org/details/bookselectionOObascrich 


XVI 
BOOK  SELECTION 

ELVA  L.  BASCOM 
Wisconsin  Free  Library  Commission 

OUTLINE 
Introduction 
Principles  of  selection 

The  book 

Tests  for  books  of  information 
Tests  for  books  of  inspiration 
Tests  for  fiction 

The  reader 
Practice  of  selection 

Use  of  printed  aids 

The  book  committee 

The  book  fund 

Collecting  and  sifting  titles  for  purchase 

Free  material 

Quick  vs.  deliberate  buying 

Selection  of  periodicals 

Selection  of  children's  books 
Editions 
PubUshers 
Aids  in  book  selection 

Advice  from  individuals 

Printed  lists 

Book  reviews 
List  of  printed  aids 
Bibliography 

.    INTRODUCTION 

The  most  important  work  of  the  public  library,  the  selection 
of  its  books,  is  often  given  little  thought  and  in  many  libraries 
is  relegated  to  the  odds  and  ends  of  time  left  over  from  the 
day's  routine  or  crowded  into  the  last  day  or  two  before  a  book 
order  is  to  be  made  up.    That  any  system  should  be  employed 


302470 


2  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

in  making  the  selection  is  not  recognized  by  many  otherwise 
excellent  librarians,  yet  one  will  be  found  to  exist  in  libraries 
which  are  most  successful  in  meeting  their  people's  needs  with  an 
adequate  supply  of  good  books.  It  is,  nevertheless,  the  work 
in  a  library  which  lends  itself  to  a  system  less  easily  than  any 
other.  This  is  accounted  for  by  the  two  constantly  changing 
elements  on  which  selection  depends,  the  readers  and  the 
books.  A  title  may  be  held  for  many  months  until  the  expendi- 
ture is  warranted,  only  to  find  that  a  better  book  is  obtainable; 
or,  when  the  purchasable  book  appears  the  need  may  no  longer 
exist.  The  librarian  can  be  truly  called  successful  in  book 
selection  who  knows,  at  a  given  time,  what  he  can  afford  to  buy 
on  a  subject,  how  to  select  the  best  for  his  conmiunity,  whether 
the  demand  justifies  the  necessary  expenditure,  and  when  the 
need  has  passed. 

With  the  enormous  and  constantly  increasing  output  of 
books,  the  problem  of  selection  becomes  more  diflScult  each  year. 
Add  to  that  the  growing  tendency  among  authors  toward 
specialization,  the  ever-widening  range  of  t)rpes  of  books — ^from 
mere  compilation  to  special  pleas — the  large  number  of  books 
on  questions  of  the  hour,  the  increased  practice  of  revising 
and  enlarging  magazine  literature  for  book  publication,  and  the 
concession  must  be  made  that  the  librarian  who  selects  for  the 
average  public  library— often  out  of  reach  of  the  books  them- 
selves— can  hardly  have  too  many  aids,  provided  they  are 
reliable  and  he  knows  how  to  use  them  with  discrimination. 

PRINCIPLES  OF  SELECTION 

A  library  should  be  built  up  according  to  a  definite  plan, 
to  approach  a  certain  ideal.  Each  book  cannot,  of  course,  be 
added  solely  to  fit  into  that  plan  or  ideal,  and  the  growth  of, 
or  changes  in,  the  community  may  wisely  lead  to  a  modification 
of  it,  but  it  should  constantly  be  a  controlling  force  in  selection 
and  should  decide  the  question  of  purchase  in  cases  of  doubt. 


BOOK  SELECTION  3 

"A  building  might  be  filled  with  books  without  there  t^ing 
a  library.  A  collection  of  books  is  no  more  a  library  than  a 
collection  of  lumber  is  a  building  or  a  collection  of  furniture 
constitutes  a  furnished  home  or  a  collection  of  pipes  makes  an 
organ.  A  library,  however  small,  involves  systematic  selection 
and  correlation  of  books.  It  must  be  built  upon  a  plan  and  all 
materials  that  are  to  go  into  its  making  must  be  chosen  to  fit 
that  plan,  just  as  all  the  units  that  go  to  make  up  a  house  must 
be  chosen  to  fit  its  plan.  In  a  very  small  library,  as  in  a  very 
small  house,  the  plan  is  very  simple,  but  it  is  none  the  less 
essential." 

The  book. — As  most  public  libraries  are,  however,  striving 
to  accomplish  much  the  same  purpose,  there  are  certain  prin- 
ciples of  selection  which  are  applicable  to  aU  of  them.' 

1.  Select  books  that  will  tend  toward  the  development  and 
enrichment    of    life. 

Test  a  book  by  asking  what  its  effect  will  be  on  the  life  of  the 
cormnunity.  "The  function  of  the  library  is  the  development 
and  enrichment  of  human  life  in  the  entire  conamunity  by 
bringing  to  all  the  people  the  books  that  belong  to  them." — 
Mrs.  Fairchild. 

2.  Let  the  basis  of  selection  be  positive,  not  negative. 

If  the  best  you  can  say  for  a  book  is  that  it  will  do  no  harm, 
question  your  need  of  it.  Every  book  should  be  of  actual 
service  to  somebody,  in  inspiration,  information,  or  recreation. 

3.  Select  books  on  subjects  in  w^hich  individuals  and  groups 
in  the  community  have  a  natural  interest. 

4.  Provide  for  all  the  people  of  the  commimity,  not  merely 
for  those  who  are  enrolled  as  borrowers. 

^Acknowledgment  is  due  to  Mrs.  S.  C.  Fairchild,  who  formulated 
the  first  principles  of  selection  for  the  New  York  State  Library  School,  and 
to  a  very  helpful  article  printed  in  New  York  libraries  in  May,  1914,  "Out- 
lines and  references  for  library  institutes:  Stocking  the  library;  part  i, 
Selecting  books."  The  excerpts  quoted  above  and  later  are  taken  from 
the  latter. 


4  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

5.  So  far  as  good  books  are  obtainable  and  funds  permit, 
represent  in  your  selection  every  race,  profession,  trade,  religious 
or  political  doctrine,  interest,  and  local  custom  found  in  the 
community.  Keep  in  mind,  however,  that  the  library  is 
primarily  an  educational  agent,  and  do  not  admit  books  con- 
taining harmful  doctrines  or  teachings. 

6.  Select  some  books  of  permanent  value,  regardless  of 
whether  or  not  they  will  be  much  used. 

The  great  classics  and  the  more  popular  "standards" 
should  be  in  every  library.  They  give  it  dignity  and  worth,  and 
gain  for  it  the  respect  of  the  educated  portion  of  the  conmiumty. 
The  expense  is  proportionately  small,  as  they  can  be  obtained  in 
inexpensive  editions.  It  is  difficult  to  determine  the  current 
book  that  will  have  permanent  value,  except  in  the  case  of  a 
few  that  are  beyond  question.  Great  discrimination  is  needed 
in  selecting  among  recent  publications  those  that  are  of  no 
immediate  interest  to  the  community  as  a  whole,  but  are  the 
best  presentations  of  important  subjects.  Some  concessions 
should  be  made  to  the  thinkers  and  leaders  in  the  community, 
but  not  to  the  extent  of  depriving  the  general  public  of  its  right- 
ful share  of  good  reading. 

7.  Select  some  books  to  meet  the  needs  of  only  a  few  persons 
if  by  so  doing  society  at  large  will  be  benefited. 

"The  library  benefits  not  only  those  who  use  it,  but  all  who 
come  into  relations  with  those  who  use  it." 

8.  Do  not  allow  the  selection  to  be  influenced  by  the  personal 
equation  or  fad  of  any  single  person  or  group  of  persons. 

"  Strong  men  or  women  in  the  community  are  apt  to  over- 
emphasize some  subject,  and,  as  they  are  apt  to  be  on  library 
book  committees,  this  subject  gets  overemphasized  in  the 
library.  Get  something  that  these  people  want,  but  not  all. 
Remember  that  quiet,  unobtrusive  people  who  are  not  interested 
in  any  *  movement'  have  just  as  much  right  to  the  benefit  of 
library  money  as  more  aggressive,  forthputting  people." 


BOOK  SELECTION  5 

9.  Keep  a  just  proportion  in  the  collection  as  a  whole,. 
Hold  constantly  in  mind  the  fact  that  a  library's  value  is  as 

dependent  on  a  well-balanced  selection  in  the  different  classes 
as  on  a  good  supply  of  fiction  and  children's  books.  The 
prefaces  of  the  A. LA.  Catalogs  give  tables  which  will  serve 
roughly  as  a  guide,  but  they  should  not  be  slavishly  adhered  to. 
Make  a  general  rule,  then  modify  it  as  may  seem  wise. 

10.  Of  sectarian  books  get  only  those  that  are  truly  repre- 
sentative and  likely  to  be  used  by  the  general  reader  or  at  least 
by  a  considerable  nimiber  of  readers,  and  treat  all  sects  alike. 

The  same  rule  appUes  in  general  to  textbooks,  law  books, 
medical  books,  or  books  devoted  strictly  to  any  profession. 
"The  public  library  is  not  to  supply  the  specialist  with  his 
regular  tools,  but  only  with  the  general  literature  of  his  subject." 

11.  As  a  rule,  prefer  an  inferior  book  that  will  be  read  to  a 
superior  book  which  will  not  be  read. 

This  is  not  always  a  safe  rule  to  follow,  since  the  inferior  book 
may  be  of  questionable  worth,  or  interest  in  the  subject  may 
force  readers  to  the  better  book  if  the  poorer  one  is  unobtainable. 

12.  Do  not  reject  a  book  on  the  opinion  of  a  few  narrow- 
minded  people  who  think  it  harmful  or  even  bad. 

The  book  which  provokes  thought,  or  even  arouses  opposi- 
tion, regarding  any  of  the  constantly  changing  concepts  of 
thought  or  springs  of  action  is  to  be  welcomed  provided  it  does 
not  seek  to  destroy  the  principles  on  which  our  civilization  is 
based.  Have  a  definite  standard  of  admission  on  mooted  sub- 
jects and  keep  within  it  except  in  the  case  of  books  which,  despite 
over-radical  tendencies,  present  a  constructive  plan  for  needed 
reforms. 

13.  Do  not  sacrifice  the  interests  of  the  student  to  those 
of  the  home  reader. 

The  Ubrary  should  care  for  the  person  who  uses  reference 
books  either  for  study  or  for  unrelated  information  as  carefully 
as  for  the  one  who  reads  only  at  home. 


6  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

14.  Do  not  strive  for  completeness.  Select  the  best  books 
on  a  subject,  the  best  by  an  author.  Do  not  get  all  of  a  series 
unless  their  merit  or  your  need  warrants  it. 

15.  Study  your  community  and  compare  its  needs  with 
its  demands.  Welcome  its  recommendations,  but  use  your 
judgment  in  following  them.  Be  a  leader,  a  guide,  rather  than 
a  follower. 

Besides  the  principles  which  define  a  library's  policy  in  the 
matter  of  book  selection  in  general,  the  following  specific 
questions  will  aid  in  deciding  the  value  of  a  single  book  in  a 
library.  They  are  submitted  only  as  suggestive  of  the  sort  of 
examination  any  book  can  be  given,  and  make  no  pretense  to 
completeness. 

Tests  for  books  of  information. — Subject-matter. — Is  it  a 
survey  of  a  whole  subject,  or  a  part  of  it?  Does  it  present 
theory  or  practice?  Is  it  a  history  of  the  subject  or  a 
discussion  of  modern  conditions?  Is  it  a  statement  of  facts 
or  an  argument?  Is  it  the  pronouncement  of  a  man  of 
authority,  or  a  compilation  of  data  from  many  sources? 
Does  it  relate  to  foreign  conditions  or  to  American,  or 
does  it  cover  both?  Is  it  brief,  exhaustive,  or  neither?  If 
selective,  is  it  well  balanced  and  representative?  These 
and^  other  equally  pertinent  questions  which  arise  as  to  the 
text  should  be  considered  solely  with  respect  to  the  actual 
needs  of  the  library  for  which  the  selection  is  being  made. 
Unless  care  is  exercised  it  is  very  easy  to  get  books  which  treat 
only  of  the  theory  or  history  of  a  subject,  when  the  demand  is 
largely  for  books  relating  to  practice  or  current  conditions. 

Authority. — What  are  the  author's  qualifications?  What 
has  been  his  education  and  experience?  Has  he  used  source 
material?  If  secondary  material,  is  it  reliable?  Does  he 
understand  thoroughly  the  period,  facts,  or  theories  with  which 
he  deals  ?    Has  he  any  bias  ? 


BOOK  SELECTION  7 

Treatment. — Is  the  treatment  concrete  or  abstract  ?,^  Is  it 
technical,  semi-technical,  scholarly,  or  popular?  Is  it  a 
technical  subject  treated  in  such  a  popular  manner  as  to  be 
worthless  ?  Is  it  designed  for  advanced  or  beginning  students 
or  the  general  reader  ? 

Date. — Is  it  an  old  book  ?  If  so,  does  its  date  give  it  value 
or  make  it  worthless  ?  Is  it  valuable  as  the  latest  word  on  the 
subject  ?  Or  is  the  subject  it  treats  so  new  that  any  book  would 
be  too  slight  to  have  value  ? 

General  make-up. — ^All  books  of  information  should  have 
a  table  of  contents  and  an  adequate  index.  There  has  been 
great  improvement  in  these  aids  to  the  quick  and  exact  use 
of  a  book,  and  very  few  publishers  send  out  important  books 
without  them.  There  is  still  considerable  room  for  reform  in 
the  quality  of  the  index,  which  is  sometimes  found  in  the  test 
of  actual  use  to  be  only  a  makeshift.  Where  the  nature  of  the 
book  makes  it  valuable,  a  bibliography,  or,  better,  a  carefully 
selected  list  of  recommended  books,  should  be  included.  The 
"list  of  books  consulted  by  the  author"  as  usually  printed  is  of 
doubtful  value,  since  it  includes  many  titles  which  have  no 
direct  relation  to  the  subject  of  his  own  book;  such  a  list 
should  be  culled,  not  printed  complete. 

There  should  be  illustrations  if  the  nature  of  the  book  gives 
them  value.  They  should  be  pertinent  to  the  text,  well  repro- 
duced, and  with  definite,  adequate  legends.  But  no  illustra- 
tions at  all  are  preferable  to  those  that  are  false  or  misleading. 
In  some  books  of  travel  and  description,  and  in  many  technical 
and  scientific  works,  illustrations  are  often  as  valuable  as,  or  even 
more  valuable  than,  the  text,  and  their  omission  is  sufficient  to 
condemn  the  book.  Certain  classes  of  books  a.emand  maps,  such 
as  histories,  accounts  of  explorations,  and  routes  of  travel  in 
less-known  parts  of  the  world.  In  others  charts  are  more 
illuminating  than  many  pages  of  text  to  show  advance,  develop- 
ment, comparison,  etc.    A  complete  list  of  all  such  illustrative 


8  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

material  should  precede  the  text,  as  a  convenience  to  the  reader 
and  in  collation. 

Physical  make-up. — ^The  typography  is  the  most  important 
feature  of  a  book's  physical  make-up.  The  rule  among  libra- 
rians awake  to  the  evils  of  badly  printed  books  used  to  be, 
without  cause  for  exception,  to  buy  no  book  that  was  printed 
in  very  small  type  or  that  was  not  leaded  (space  between  the 
lines).  The  rule  regarding  type  no  longer  holds  good,  since 
there  are  now  excellent,  clear-cut  makes  of  the  smaller  types 
which  when  properly  leaded  and  spaced  make  an  attractive, 
readable  page.  There  is  an  increasing  tendency  to  use  the 
larger  types  with  confusing  lack  of  space  between  words  and 
also  between  the  lines.  The  result  is  a  page  that  is  far  more 
tiring  to  the  eye  than  the  well-leaded  and  spaced  smaller  type 
produces.  The  quality,  tone,  and  finish  of  the  paper  also  affect 
very  largely  the  clearness  of  the  page.  A  cream-tinted,  dull- 
finished  paper  of  sufficient  thickness  to  permit  no  penetration 
of  the  printing  on  the  other  side  offers  the  best  combination. 
(See  chapter  xxxii,  "Library  printing,"  by  F.  K.  Walter,  for 
more  about  typographical  merits  and  defects.) 

Binding  and  covers  are  beyond  this  brief  survey.  The 
quality  of  the  binding  processes  is  important,  since  the  life  of 
the  book  depends  largely  on  them.  The  character  of  the  covers 
is  less  important,  except  in  children's  books,  where  an  attractive 
appearance  means  much  in  recommending  a  book.  (See 
chapter  xxvi,  "Bookbinding,"  by  A.  L.  Bailey,  for  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  traits  of  good  library  binding.) 

The  physical  make-up  of  a  volume  cannot  weigh  very 
heavily  beside  the  question  of  the  text  itself,  especially  in  books 
of  information.  Where  there  is  a  choice  of  volumes,  however, 
and  the  librarian  is  able  to  examine  the  books  themselves,  these 
matters  should  be  taken  into  account. 

Tests  for  books  of  inspiration. — Discussion  of  the  qualities  an 
inspirational  work  should  have  would  require  more  space  than 


BOOK  SELECTION  9 

can  be  given  to  a  single  chapter.    The  following  questiens  are 
intended  to  be  only  suggestive: 

1.  Does  the  work  show  any  degree  of  creative  power? 

2.  To  what  extent  does  it  reflect  the  author's  personaUty  ? 

3.  Is  it  sincere? 

4.  Has  it  originality  of  conception  ?  of  expression  ? 

5.  Does  it  appeal  primarily  to  the  intellect  or  the  emotions  ? 
If  to  the  latter,  has  it  self-restraint? 

6.  Is  it  of  purely  human  interest,  or  has  it  also  literary, 
artistic,  religious,  ethical,  or  philosophic  value  ? 

7.  Is  the  style  a  help  or  a  hindrance  to  the  thought? 

8.  Is  the  form  appropriate  to  the  thought  ? 

9.  Has  it  charm,  beauty,  color,  imagery,  melody  ? 

10.  Has  it  vitality?  Will  it  endure  as  a  permanent  con- 
tribution to  literature  ? 

Tests  for  fiction.^ — In  addition  to  the  tests  above: 

1.  Is  the  life  it  pictures  true  to  nature?  Or  is  it  sensa- 
tional? melodramatic?  exaggerated?  distorted?  morbid? 

2.  Are  the  characters  alive?  Does  the  psychology  of  their 
acts  ring  true  ?  Are  they  worth  delineating  ?  Do  they  throw 
any  new  light  on  the  workings  of  the  human  mind  and  heart  ? 

3.  Is  the  plot  original  ?  hackneyed  ?  ingenious  ?  probable  ? 
involved?  simple?  Is  it  successfully  worked  out?  Does  it 
hold  the  interest? 

4.  Does  it  blur  the  hard-won  line  between  right  and  wrong  ? 

5.  If  it  depicts  sin,  is  the  author's  attitude  moral  ?  immoral  ? 
unmoral  ? 

6.  Is  its  spirit  that  of  good-will  toward  men?  Does  it 
engender  a  more  kindly  feeling  toward  human  nature? 

7.  Does  it  leave  a  sense  of  completeness  and  satisfaction? 
Does  it  stimulate,  inspire,  or  merely  amuse  ? 

The  reader  as  an  element  in  selection. — A  librarian  may 
be  a  discriminating  critic  of  books,  with  a  fine  appreciation 
^  Partly  taken  from  Shmnan's  How  to  judge  a  hook. 


lO  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

of  good  literature  and  good  workmanship,  a  keen  scent  for 
the  false  and  superficial,  and  equally  keen  pleasure  in  able 
scholarship  and  clear  analysis,  but  he  must  also  be  a  lover 
and  student  of  people  in  order  to  select  books  successfully. 
He  needs  to  study  his  community  as  thoroughly  as  the  suc- 
cessful merchant  who  buys  clothing  to  suit  its  varied  tastes. 
A  detailed  knowledge  of  its  institutions,  nationalities,  religions, 
degrees  of  intelligence  and  education,  moral  and  social  stand- 
ards— everything  that  indicates  the  nature,  characteristics, 
and  interests  of  the  people  the  library  aims  to  serve — 
should  be  as  much  a  part  of  his  working  equipment  as  a  knowl- 
edge of  cataloging  and  classification.  Without  this  grasp  of  the 
community  life  and  intelligence  it  is  not  possible  to  make  a 
wise  selection  among  a  dozen,  or  even  six  books,  on  any  subject 
which  has  a  fairly  large  and  varied  literature.  When  a  librarian 
asks  a  library  commission  to  recommend  two  or  three  of  the 
best  books  on  a  subject  "for  her  library,"  the  question  imme- 
diately arises:  What  class  of  readers  does  the  librarian  intend 
to  satisfy  with  these  books  ?  In  a  small  library,  at  least,  the 
two  factors  in  the  problem,  the  book  and  the  reader,  can  never 
be  separated.  For  this  reason  the  best  book  on  a  subject, 
intrinsically  considered,  may  be  the  worst  for  a  certain  library 
to  buy,  if  the  test  of  a  book  is  the  good  it  may  do  in  a  community. 
The  phrase  "the  best  book"  can  seldom  be  used  unmodified 
without  being  misleading.  For  instance,  the  work  on  the 
Panama  Canal  called  the  best  in  the  technology  department 
of  the  Carnegie  library  of  Pittsburgh  would  certainly  not 
be  the  best  for  a  tiny  village  on  a  western  prairie,  or  even  for 
a  cultured  eastern  town.  This  wide  difference  in  the  intelligence, 
training,  and  needs  of  our  public-library  users  renders  general 
lists  of  recommended  books  indifferent  aids,  however  carefully 
selected  and  annotated.  Their  selection  must  of  necessity 
be  based  largely  on  inherent  or  comparative  value;  the  touch- 
stone— the  community  the  list  is  to  serve — cannot  be  applied. 


BOOK  SELECTION  II 

It  is  of  greater  importance  that  the  librarian  should  know 
his  people  than  that  he  should  know  personally  the  books  they 
may  desire.  Some  one  can  usually  be  found,  in  the  state  library 
commission  or  elsewhere,  who  can  inform  him  concerning  the 
books,  but  the  librarian  must  be  depended  on  for  the  informa- 
tion necessary  to  select  those  that  will  fit  his  readers. 

The  activities,  interests,  institutions,  and  public  spirit  of  a 
community  should  be  reflected  with  some  degree  of  complete- 
ness on  the  shelves  of  its  public  library.  This  is  sometimes  an 
unfair  test  of  the  librarian's  ability,  owing  to  the  short  life  of 
the  library,  a  paucity  of  funds,  incapable  predecessors,  etc. 
but  as  a  rule,  if  such  subjects  as  moral  education,  child  labor, 
women  in  industry,  municipal  government,  civic  improvement, 
public  health  and  sanitation,  and  other  matters  of  special  interest 
in  our  wide-awake  towns  are  represented  by  only  a  few  stray 
titles  or  not  at  all,  it  is  safe  to  conclude  that  the  librarian  is  not 
living  up  to  his  opportunity;  that  he  is  probably  following  the 
line  of  least  resistance  by  adding  only  to  the  obvious  and 
already  well-represented  classes  of  history,  travel,  and  literature, 
forgetting  or  ignoring  the  fact  that  he  is  thus  serving  only  a 
part — and  the  most  easily  satisfied  part — of  his  conomunity, 
that  he  is  not  "bringing  to  all  the  people  the  books  that  belong 
to  them."  When  he  does  that,  every  trade  and  industry,  every 
homely,  healthful,  or  artistic  after-hour  employment,  every 
worthy  club  and  society,  will  be  reflected  on  the  shelves  of  the 
library. 

PRACTICE   OF  SELECTION 

Granted  that  a  librarian  appreciates  the  need  of  definite 
principles  of  selection  and  has  a  thorough  grasp  of  them,  his 
community  will  not  profit  from  them  unless  he  is  willing  to  give 
considerable  time  and  thought  to  the  actual  work  of  selection. 
This  should  be  accepted  as  a  regular  part  of  the  day's  work, 
not  considered  an  added  burden  to  be  postponed  until  necessity 
forces  it  into  the  schedule,  to  the  detriment  of  other  duties. 


12  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

Use  of  printed  aids. — ^The  first  step  in  the  routine  of  selec- 
tion is  to  decide  what  aids  are  to  be  depended  on  for  information 
about  current  books  and  about  the  older  literature.  This 
decision  depends  largely  on  the  size  of  the  library  and  the 
amount  of  the  book  fund.  With  a  collection  of  ten  thousand 
books  or  less  and  an  appropriation  of  $i,ooo  or  less,  the  average 
library  can  manage  very  well  with  the  two  A.L.A.  Catalogs 
and  the  A.L.A.  Booklist,  supplemented  by  the  assistance 
obtainable  from  the  state  library  commission.  Libraries 
larger  than  this  and  having  a  larger  appropriation  will,  as  a 
rule,  need  a  larger  list  to  select  from.  This  is  especially  true  for 
the  older  books,  since  the  two  Catalogs  represent  a  much  more 
limited  selection  than  does  the  Booklist.  Many  libraries  find 
the  addition  of  the  volumes  of  the  Book  Review  Digest  sufficient. 
Its  value  for  selection  is  increased  since  the  inclusion  of  a  subject 
index.  Librarians  of  other  libraries  no  larger  in  size  think 
they  cannot  do  effective  work  without  the  U.S.  Catalog  and  the 
Cumulative  Book  Index  also:  This  equipment  entails  a  con- 
siderable expenditure,  and  should  be  undertaken  only  after  a 
careful  canvass  of  the  situation.  There  is  much  to  be  said, 
however,  in  favor  of  as  large  a  supply  of  bibliographic  tools  as  can 
be  afforded,  since  the  librarian  who  takes  the  trouble  to  find 
exactly  what  he  needs  by  use  of  them  can  usually  borrow  what 
he  is  not  able  to  buy,  either  from  the  state  commission  or  from 
another  library.  Few  libraries  today  are  dependent  solely  on 
what  they  can  afford  to  buy.  Besides  these  publications  there 
are  many  other  useful  aids,  as  the  Classified  catalogues  of  the 
Carnegie  library  of  Pittsburgh,  the  New  York  State  library 
Best  books  lists,  Sonnenschein's  Best  books,  etc.  (see  List  of  aids, 
p.  27).  All  lists  should  be  consulted  with  a  realization  of  their 
limitations  or  bias;  e.g.,  the  three  Pittsburgh  catalogs  represent 
the  gradual  growth  of  a  single  large  library  striving  to  meet  the 
needs  of  its  own  city;  in  using  them  one  should  keep  in  mind  the 
fact  that  many  of  the  books  in  the  earlier  catalogs  are  now 


BOOK  SELECTION  13 

out  of  date  and  perhaps  replaced  by  better  ones,  that  many  titles 
are  not  suited  to  the  small  library,  etc.  In  selecting  books  other 
than  current,  no  title  should  be  chosen,  no  matter  how  excellent 
the  list  containing  it  or  how  favorable  the  note  accompanying 
it,  without  careful  search  in  later  or  current  lists  to  ascertain 
if  it  has  not  been  supplanted  by  a  better  book,  or  has  not  been 
issued  in  a  new  edition. 

For  the  selection  of  current  literature  the  Booklist  answers 
the  need  of  most  small  libraries.  Where  a  larger  list  is  wanted, 
the  Book  Review  Digest  is  usually  added  next.  Many  librarians 
do  not  feel  satisfied  without  the  longer  reviews  in  the  Dial  and 
Nation.  Many,  too,  feel  the  need  of  the  more  complete  and 
frequent  news  of  books  that  is  supplied  in  the  Publishers' 
Weekly^  the  New  York  Times  Review  of  Books,  the  Boston 
Transcript^  and  other  newspapers.  To  these  the  libraries  of 
25,000  and  over  usually  add  the  Cumulative  Book  Index,  the 
Athenaeum  or  Spectator  or  both,  and  perhaps  one  of  the  EngUsh 
trade  journals — the  Bookseller  or  Publishers'  Circular;  the 
former  is  perhaps  in  most  general  favor. 

The  lists  of  additions  in  the  bulletins  of  the  large  public 
libraries,  which  are  sometimes  followed  closely  by  small  libraries 
in  the  same  section,  are  helpful  only  when  used  with  discrimina- 
tion. They  vary  greatly  in  value,  the  selection  in  some  being 
excellent  and  well  balanced,  in  some  very  uneven,  and  in  others 
decidedly  poor  as  a  whole.  In  most  of  them  there  is  no  way  of 
determining  what  books  have  been  chosen  as  valuable  additions, 
what  bought  to  meet  an  urgent  need  regardless  of  inherent 
value,  and  what  added  as  gifts  (sometimes  worthless).  In 
some,  new  and  old  books  are  not  distinguished. 

Book  committee. — ^The  usual  order  of  procedure  in  selection 
is  somewhat  as  follows:  The  librarian  collects  the  titles  for 
consideration  by  the  board  or  the  book  committee.  The 
latter  is  preferable,  as  the  board  is  likely  to  be  too  large  a  body 
to  consider  and  agree  on  a  list  of  books  with  wisdom  and 


14  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

dispatch.  This  committee  should  be  composed  of  educated 
people,  but  people  who  are  in  actual  touch  with  the  life  of  the 
community  and  who  appreciate  the  responsibility  and  honor 
of  acting  for  it.  The  school  superintendent  is  usually  a  mem- 
ber, and  frequently  a  valuable  one.  The  membership  should 
never  be  composed  wholly  of  women,  nor,  if  possible  to  avoid  it, 
wholly  of  men,  and  none  of  them  should  be  ruled  by  hobbies. 
Through  his  thorough  knowledge  of  his  library  and  its  resources 
and  his  ability  to  give  good  reason  for  the  selection  of  books  he 
submits  for  approval,  the  librarian  should  command  the  confi- 
dence of  the  committee,  and  he  should  attend  its  meetings  with- 
out question. 

Book  fund. — The  book  fund  is  greatly  affected  by  the  size 
of  the  library.  It  is  relatively  larger  in  the  smaller  library, 
since  the  cost  of  service  is  less.  About  20  per  cent  of  the  library 
appropriation  is  perhaps  near  the  average  amount  spent  for 
books.  Of  this  not  more  than  one-fourth  should  be  spent  for 
fiction  and  one-fourth  (or  more)  for  children's  books.  This 
leaves  about  half  the  book  fund  for  reference  and  classed  books 
and  periodicals,  which  is  none  too  much  considering  their 
greater  cost. 

The  fund  should  be  divided  into  fairly  equal  portions  and 
spent  at  regular  intervals.  The  frequency  of  buying  depends  on 
the  size  of  the  fund,  on  the  size  of  the  library,  and  on  the  attitude 
of  the  readers.  A  library  spending  $200  or  less  a  year  hardly 
needs  to  buy  oftener  than  once  in  three  or  four  months.  The 
majority  of  libraries  buy  monthly;  if  near  a  large  city  even 
small  libraries  are  inclined  to  buy  oftener.  Frequent  purchases 
keep  interest  alive,  but,  on  the  other  hand,  they  are  more 
expensive  (as  to  time  and  transportation  charges)  and  tend  to 
lower  the  standard  of  selection. 

Collecting  and  sifting  titles  for  purchase. — The  mechanical 
routine  of  selection  is  simple.  Current  lists  and  reviews  are 
systematically  checked,  chosen  titles  (author,  brief  title,  pub- 


BOOK  SELECTION  15 

Usher,  price,  and  source  of  information,  note  or  review)  are 
copied  on  cards  of  uniform  size,  or,  better  still  if  there  are  notes, 
the  entries  themselves  are  clipped  and  mounted  on  cards.  A 
tray  or  filing  box  should  be  provided  for  this  purpose.  Books 
on  special  subjects  or  to  meet  special  needs,  new  editions  and 
replacements  are  added  to  this  "possible  purchase  file."  It 
can  be  kept  in  author  order  or  classed  according  to  the  appor- 
tionment of  the  book  fund:  Class  books.  Fiction,  Reference, 
Children's  books,  Foreign  books. 

When  a  book  order  is  to  be  prepared,  this  accumulation  of 
titles  is  sorted  by  subject  and  carefully  sifted  by  consulting 
available  reviews  and  by  taking  into  account  immediate  needs 
and  the  amount  of  money  available.  They  are  compared  with 
the  catalog  and  shelf-list  to  avoid  duplication  of  titles,  and 
some  sort  of  balance  is  attained  between  subjects.  After  the 
order  has  been  made  up,  the  withdrawn  titles  can  be  returned 
to  their  original  file  to  await  the  next  order  or  they  can  be 
arranged  behind  guides  according  to  the  decision  made  about 
them;  e.g.,  the  next  to  buy,  desirable  but  too  expensive  at 
present,  buy  second  hand,  discarded,  etc. 

Readers  should  be  encouraged  to  recommend  books  for 
purchase,  and  cards  should  be  furnished  for  this  purpose.  To 
discourage  indiscriminate  requests,  a  reason  for  the  purchase 
of  the  book  should  be  required  and  any  favorable  information 
about  it  solicited.  If  the  library  finds  it  unwise  to  buy  a  book 
so  requested,  the  reader  should  be  given  the  reason  for  the 
decision. 

Free  material. — ^The  librarian  who  practices  economy  in 
book  selection  is  constantly  alert  to  discover  the  good  material 
which  can  be  acquired  free  of  cost  or  for  very  little.  The  follow- 
ing classes  are  only  suggestive: 

I.  Public  documents:  city,  state,  and  federal.  Among 
them  is  some  of  the  most  valuable  material  a  library  can 
possess.    Often  a  government  bureau  is  the  first  to  publish  a 


1 6  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

bulletin  on  a  new  subject.  The  small  library  cannot  make  room 
for  many  long  sets,  but  it  cannot  afford  to  neglect  the  current 
output  of  all  but  the  more  technical  departments  and  bureaus. 
In  larger  libraries  it  should  be  a  matter  of  pride  to  make  easily 
available  every  federal,  state,  and  city  report  or  bulletin  which 
could  possibly  be  useful.  The  Monthly  Catalogue  and  the 
Price  lists  on  various  subjects  that  are  compiled  from  time  to 
time  in  the  Superintendent  of  Documents  Office  are  worth 
the  time  it  takes  the  busiest  librarian  to  scan  them.  Many 
useful  sets  and  single  documents  are  noted  in  chapter  xxiii, 
''Government  docimients,"  and  in  the  A.L.A.  Publishing 
Board  Handbook  7,  "U.S.  Government  documents  in  small 
libraries." 

2.  Railroad  and  steamship  "literature."  While  not  always 
strictly  reliable,  this  material  is  often  a  very  ready  help.  If 
the  text  is  not  needed,  the  illustrations  are  useful  in  the  picture 
collection. 

3.  Philanthropic,  charitable,  civic,  and  political  organiza- 
tions' publications.  Some  of  the  first  and  best  surveys  of  new 
movements  are  obtained  from  these  sources,  and  they  are  more 
convenient  and  usually  more  reliable  than  magazine  articles 
relating  to  them. 

Quick  vs.  deliberate  buying — ^The  wise  librarian  has  also 
learned  to  question  whether  or  not  his  need  for  a  new  book  is 
urgent.  While  it  is  often  true  that  half  the  value  of  a  book  lies 
in  having  it  when  it  is  first  wanted,  it  is  ahnost  as  often  the  case 
that  waiting  will  not  lessen  its  usefulness.  There  are  three 
reasons  for  waiting:  (i)  the  book  may  not  after  all  prove  a 
worthy  purchase  when  the  opinion  of  expert  reviewers  (usually 
late)  is  obtainable;  (2)  a  better  one  may  follow  close  on  the 
heels  of  the  one  chosen;  this  is  frequently  the  case  in  new  sub- 
jects; (3)  a  year  after  publication  a  larger  discount  is  obtain- 
able, or  the  book  may  be  purchased  at  half-price  or  less  through 
second-hand  or  remainder  dealers,  or  through  advertisement. 


BOOK  SELECTION  17 

Reasons  (i)  and  (2)  bring  up  the  matter  of  immediate  (or 
quick)  versus  deliberate  buying,  as  to  which  every  librarian 
must  be  his  own  judge.  It  is  no  doubt  necessary  in  some 
libraries  to  buy  promptly — at  least  in  some  classes  of  books — 
but  it  is  difficult  to  believe  that  a  group  of  fairly  intelligent 
people  who  have  confidence  in  their  librarian  will  not  wait 
with  a  reasonable  degree  of  patience  until  the  value  of  a  book 
can  be  ascertained,  especially  if  they  understand  that  a  worthless 
or  unusable  book  deprives  them  of  the  good  one  which  might 
have  been  bought  in  its  place.  The  quality  of  the  selection  in 
small  libraries,  especially  in  fiction,  is  greatly  improved  where 
the  librarian  has  assimied  this  reasonable  attitude  on  the  part 
of  his  readers  and  has  won  them  to  it. 

The  small  library  does  not  reap  the  benefit  it  might  from  the 
second-hand  agencies.  A  great  saving  can  sometimes  be 
effected  through  them  if  the  librarian  knows  just  what  books  he 
wants.  The  two  difficulties  are  that  the  catalogs  sent  out  con- 
tain all  sorts  of  literature,  making  an  actual  knowledge  of  the 
books  essential,  and  that  the  cost  of  transportation  may  make 
a  small  order  cost  as  much  as  if  bought  through  the  regular 
trade.  In  the  case  of  an  expensive  reference  work,  or  one  that 
is  out  of  print,  an  advertisement  in  the  Publishers^  Weekly 
"Books  wanted"  column  sometimes  brings  a  copy  when  the 
second-hand  dealers  have  failed  to  secure  it.  (See  chapter  xvii, 
"Order  and  accession  department,"  by  F.  F.  Hopper.) 

The  librarian  who  needs  to  economize  will  not  buy  sub- 
scription books.  While  it  is  true  that  some  valuable  works  are 
published  in  this  way,  they  are  a  very  small  part  of  the  whole 
output  and  they  can  usually  be  obtained  later  in  the  regular 
trade  or  from  second-hand  dealers,  often  at  a  great  reduction. 
As  a  rule,  a  subscription  work  is  inferior  in  text,  binding,  and 
make-up  to  the  ordinary  book  and  far  more  costly. 

Selection  of  periodicals. — Closely  allied  with  the  problem  of 
the  choice  of  books  is  that  of  the  selection  of  periodicals. 


i8  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

In  these  days  of  a  surfeit  of  popular  magazines  even  the 
large  library  must  select  with  some  care.  In  the  smaller 
library  the  problem  is  a  serious  one.  Even  more  than  in  the 
case  of  books,  its  solution  depends  on  local  conditions.  As  a 
rule,  however,  the  following  requirements  should  be  met  with 
each  periodical. 

1.  It  should  be  of  as  high  standard  as  wiU  be  read. 

2 .  It  should  offend  no  part  of  the  community  by  its  unfairness. 

3.  It  should,  if  possible,  be  of  permanent  value  and  worth 
binding. 

4.  It  should  be  within  the  means  of  the  library. 

5.  The  selection  as  a  whole  should  cover  all  the  important 
interests  of  the  community  and  meet  its  most  pressing  needs. 

6.  It  should  not  include  periodicals  which  are  taken  in  the 
majority  of  the  homes  unless  the  fund  is  large,  or  the  periodical  of 
special  reference  value. 

7.  Partisan  or  religious  periodicals  representing  a  single 
church  should  not  be  purchased.  If  room  can  be  given  them 
the  of&cial  organs  of  well-recognized  societies  and  denomina- 
tions should  be  accepted  as  gifts.  If  this  is  done,  make  an 
effort  to  have  the  collection  represent  the  majority  of  the  com- 
munity. 

Various  groups  of  selected  periodicals  are  given  in  the  articles 
cited  in  the  "References"  given  at  the  end  of  this  chapter. 

Selection  of  children's  books. — ^The  choice  of  books  for 
children  is  a  special  field,  and  does  not  come  within  the  province 
of  this  chapter.  It  is  discussed  briefly  in  chapter  xxix,  *'  Library 
work  with  children,"  by  Frances  J.  Olcott,  and  a  list  of  books 
and  articles  is  appended.  The  best  lists  for  use  in  building  up 
a  collection  of  children's  literature  are  cited  under  "Aids  in 
book  selection." 

EDITIONS 

In  the  public  library  of  any  size  the  question  of  editions  is  of 
sufficient  importance  to  warrant  much  closer  study  than  it 


BOOK  SELECTION  19 

usually  receives;  in  the^mall  library  hardly  too  much  attention 
can  be  given  it.  Here  every  book,  where  there  can  be  so  few, 
should  be  made  to  count — should  be  frequently  in  demand  by  a 
reader. 

The  word  "edition"  is  loosely  employed  in  two  ways: 
(i)  for  a  classic  or  standard  work  in  which  the  subject-matter 
is  unchanged,  the  variation  from  the  earlier  editions  or  edition 
consisting  in  its  physical  make-up,  with  perhaps  the  addition 
of  an  introduction,  notes,  or  appendixes;  (2)  for  a  republication 
of  a  work,  usually  of  fairly  modem  origin,  in  which  the  text 
has  been  changed  and  enlarged  to  a  greater  or  less  extent,  in 
order  to  bring  it  into  line  with  present-day  thought  or  to  insert 
later  facts  or  events — to  "bring  it  up  to  date,"  in  library  terms. 
The  word  "reprint"  is  often  used  synonymously  with  "edition," 
but  a  reprint  means  to  publishers  the  reprinting  from  the  same 
type  and  without  change,  except  for  textual  errors. 

The  long-held  idea  that  the  classic  and  standard  authors 
should  be  bought  as  cheaply  as  possible  because  they  are  so 
little  read  is  a  mistaken  one,  at  least  with  respect  to  those  of 
more  popular  character.  Even  the  small  library  must  have  a 
few  books  which  are  very  seldom  called  for  and  which  may  well 
be  bought  in  fairly  cheap  editions,  but  there  is  a  large  body  of 
standard  literature — especially  the  novels — ^which  will  be  read 
ahnost  as  eagerly  as  the  newest  books  if  presented  in  the  same 
kind  of  dress,  with  good  paper,  legible  type,  satisfactory  illus- 
trations, and  attractive  covers.  Even  readers  who  know  the 
charm  of  Jane  Austen,  Charles  Lamb,  Thackeray,  and  Dickens 
(unknown  authors  to  many  young  people  except  for  painful 
memories  of  English  lessons)  are  repelled  by  the  ugly,  unread- 
able editions  which  are  to  be  found  on  many  library  shelves.  In 
recognition  of  this  need  there  has  been  in  recent  years  a  con- 
siderable output  of  handsome  editions.  Some  of  the  money 
all  but  wasted  in  mediocre  fiction  might  well  be  diverted  into 
this  channel.     Choose  editions  which  are  illustrated  if  the 


20  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

illustrations  are  not  of  the  impossible  type,  and,  if  necessary, 
sacrifice  a  strong  binding  to  attractive  covers. 

If  attractive  editions  are  worth  buying  for  adults,  they  surely 
are  for  children.  The  average  adult  has  opportunities  outside 
the  library  to  see  and  enjoy  fine  books;  he  may  even  satisfy  his 
love  for  them  by  occasionally  buying  one.  Many  children 
know  no  better  books  than  those  they  handle  at  school  and  in 
the  public  library.  How  is  a  respect  for  the  dignity  and  value 
of  literature  to  take  root  if  they  see  nothing  superior  to  the 
little  cheap  editions  with  which  some  children's  rooms  are  filled  ? 
These  are  necessary  for  circulation,  but  every  classic  approved 
for  children's  reading  should  be  represented  by  at  least  one 
copy  of  a  satisfactory  edition — ^well  printed,  well  illustrated, 
well  bound — and  frequent  opportunity  should  be  given  the 
children  to  read  them. 

There  is  an  increasing  tendency  among  publishers  to  issue 
frequent  editions  of  books  on  growing  or  rapidly  changing 
subjects.  In  many  instances  the  changes  and  additions  are 
important;  in  many  more  they  are  too  slight  to  warrant  the 
replacing  of  the  older  edition,  except  in  large  libraries  or  in  case 
the  subject  is  so  important  as  to  demand  the  latest  information. 
Much  depends  on  the  character  of  the  use  of  the  book  in  the 
individual  library.  In  the  case  of  a  popular  subject,  the  period- 
ical literature  will  usually  be  found  to  bring  it  to  date  satis- 
factorily enough  for  the  average  reader.  The  incorporation 
of  valuable  new  material  or  the  changing  of  statistical  data, 
as  after  a  new  census,  often  makes  a  new  edition  practically  a 
necessity.  There  are  doubtless  hundreds  of  persons  daily 
gathering  data  from  books  in  our  public  libraries  which  have 
not  been  according  to  facts  for  ten,  twenty,  or  even  thirty  years. 
If  such  books  are  not  replaced,  they  should  be  discarded  or 
plainly  labeled  as  out  of  date. 

As  a  rule,  expensive  editions  should  not  be  bought.  Occa- 
sional exceptions  should,  however,  be  made  where  the  book 


BOOK  SELECTION  21 

fund  allows  it.  Even  a  few  handsome  volumes,  or  substantial, 
well-bound  sets,  give  a  library  a  charm  and  a  look  of  distinction 
that  is  too  often  lacking,  and  help  to  create  a  love  for  books. 
In  our  fine  new  Carnegie  libraries  there  is  frequently  a  sad  con- 
trast between  the  smart,  shining  equipment  and  the  books 
which  are  its  sole  excuse  for  being.  It  is  usually  in  the  fine 
arts  collection  that  a  librarian  finds  excuse  for  indulging  in  a 
few  beautiful  books,  but  every  lover  of  good  literature  would 
like  to  see  its  great  leaders — ^past  and  present — ^more  worthily 
clothed. 

On  the  other  hand,  there  are  many  books  which,  issued  first 
in  expensive  form,  are  as  useful  in  the  much  cheaper  one  which 
follows  in  a  few  weeks  or  months.  The  difference  is  usually  only 
in  paper,  process  or  amount  of  illustration,  and  binding. 

Books  issued  in  impractical  white  or  light  bindings  should 
not  be  bought.  If  good  public-library  material,  they  will 
usually  appear  in  appropriate  binding  in  the  course  of  time. 

PUBLISHERS 

The  librarian  who  has  a  good  knowledge  of  publishing  houses, 
their  history  and  present  status,  has  a  great  advantage  in  book 
selection  over  the  one  to  whom  the  name  of  a  house  means 
nothing,  or  at  most  a  magazine  or  single  type  of  book.  It  is 
still  true,  despite  recent  changes,  that  as  a  whole  the  output 
of  each  of  the  older  houses  has  certain  characteristics  so  dis- 
tinctive that  those  with  long  experience  can  usually  name  their 
books  on  sight.  They  can  usually  also  name  the  strong  points 
and  weaknesses  which  are  instinctively  associated  with  each 
publisher.  There  are,  of  course,  exceptions,  and  as  a  whole  the 
boundaries  between  publishers,  especially  as  to  classes  of  subjects 
handled,  are  rapidly  disappearing.  We  can  no  longer  say  that 
such  and  such  a  New  England  author's  books  must  have  been 
published  by  Houghton  Mifflin,  that  Appleton  "carries"  all 
the  good  popular  science,  that  Scribner  imports  the  art  books, 


22  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

etc.  There  have  been  some  startling  innovations  of  late  in 
houses  the  heretofore  strong  family  resemblance  of  whose 
books  gives  one  the  feeling  that  these  newcomers  are  unwelcome 
changelings. 

While  it  is  not  possible  for  any  one  who  is  not  constantly 
handling  a  fair  proportion  of  a  house's  output  to  follow  its 
development  (or  changes),  every  librarian  should  try  to  gain  a 
knowledge  of  two  things  regarding  the  forty  or  fifty  publishers 
who  print  most  of  the  current  books  from  which  the  average 
library  selects;  these  are:  the  subjects  in  which  they  specialize, 
and  the  relative  rank  of  their  books  as  to  their  mechanical 
processes.  Of  two  books  on  radium  of  seemingly  even  value, 
the  one  published  by  a  house  having  a  long  record  for  its  good 
scientific  publications  will  probably  be  preferred.  Likewise 
of  two  books  on  any  subject  which,  from  all  available  informa- 
tion, differ  little  in  textual  value,  the  choice  naturally  falls  on 
the  one  which  is  printed  better  and  is  likely  to  wear  longer. 
Much  of  this  information  can  be  gained  by  constant  observa- 
tion and  comparison  of  new  books  and  by  study  of  publishers' 
catalogs.  It  is  one,  but  not  the  most  important  one,  of  the 
many  good  reasons  for  a  librarian  forming  the  habit  of  visiting 
large  bookstores  at  as  frequent  intervals  as  possible.  Even  if 
the  distance  is  too  great  to  admit  of  such  a  visit  more  than  once 
a  year,  it  is  well  worth  some  sacrifice  of  vacation  pleasure  to 
accomplish  it. 

AIDS  IN  BOOK  SELECTION 

The  statement  is  quite  safe  that  the  majority  of  librarians 
are  too  far  removed  from  book  centers  to  enable  them  to 
examine  new  books  before  making  their  selection.  But  even  the 
librarian  who  has  access  to  the  new  books  is  often  at  a  loss  to 
decide  on  the  merits  of  publications  in  subjects  of  which  he 
has  no  special  knowledge.  In  the  average  public  library  he  has 
too  little  time  to  devote  to  the  book  side  of  his  work  to  keep  pace 


BOOK  SELECTION  23 

with  the  subjects  with  which  he  has  some  familiarity,  much  less 
to  acquire  a  knowledge  of  the  new  ones  which  arise  sufficient 
to  make  a  wise  selection  in  its  literature.  Only  in  the  large 
libraries,  where  special  departments  with  trained  people  at  their 
heads  and  throughout  the  staff  are  possible,  is  the  work  of 
book  selection  carried  on  with  independence  from  outside  aid; 
and  here  the  work  is  less  that  of  selection,  on  the  whole,  than  of 
collection.  Hence  there  is  absolute  necessity  for  possessing 
as  many  aids  as  it  is  possible  to  have  for  acquiring  reliable 
information  about  current  literature.  Help  in  selecting  the 
older  literature  is  also  needed,  in  forming  collections  for  new 
libraries,  and  in  building  up  weak  collections  in  libraries  already 
organized. 

Advice  from  individuals. — This  help  is  acquired  through 
several  different  channels.  The  most  valuable  to  the  small 
library  usually  is,  or  should  be,  the  personal  assistance  of  a 
member  of  the  state  library  commission  or  a  fellow-librarian  who 
knows  the  principles  of  selection  and  the  books,  and  knows  also 
the  community  sufficiently  well  to  adapt  their  selection  to  its 
needs.  The  second-best  aid  should  be  the  persons  in  the  com- 
mimity  who  have  a  fundamental  knowledge  of  a  subject  and 
keep  themselves  thoroughly  informed  of  its  literature;  such 
people  as  the  ministers,  the  school  superintendent  and  principals, 
the  heads  of  large  industries  or  their  assistants,  professional 
men  who  know  the  general  literature  of  their  subjects,  women 
who  are  leaders  in  educational  and  social  work,  etc.  Many 
larger  libraries  have  a  "book  board"  composed  of  such  citizens, 
into  whose  hands  is  given  the  task  of  selection,  subject  some- 
times to  the  revision  of  the  hbrarian,  or  the  board  of  trustees. 
The  librarian  in  even  the  small  town  should  utilize  the  special 
knowledge  that  is  available  among  its  citizens,  but  will  need 
to  scrutinize  carefully  the  resulting  reconomendations.  It  is 
difficult  for  experts  to  acquire  the  unbiased  viewpoint  of  the 
public  library,  to  free  themselves  of  the  belief  that  the  literature 


24  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

of  their  own  subject  is  the  most  important  to  add.  If  titles 
submitted  for  purchase  are  not  pruned,  therefore,  there  will 
almost  unfailingly  result  an  over-supply  of  books  which  as  a 
whole  are  useful  to  only  a  small  group  of  readers. 

Printed  lists. — In  the  average  small  library,  "  Book  selection 
aids"  mean  neither  of  these  two  just  discussed,  but  the  printed 
lists  published  by  the  A.L.A.  Publishing  Board  and  the  Ubrary 
commissions.  In  these  the  selection  is  made  from  the  viewpoint 
of  the  small  or  medium-sized  library,  and  the  annotation,  when 
there  is  any,  aims  to  give  the  information  necessary  to  make 
a  closer  selection  possible.  Such  annotation,  to  be  most 
helpful,  should  have  the  following  qualities:  It  should  give 
an  unbiased  statement  of  the  book's  value,  authority,  scope, 
treatment,  point  of  view,  and  style,  and  should  indicate  its 
special  virtues  or  deficiencies.  It  should  be  written  with  the 
sole  purpose  of  enabling  the  librarian  to  decide,  without 
examination  of  the  book  itself,  whether  or  not  he  should  buy 
it  and  to  what  class  of  readers  it  will  make  an  appeal.  To 
be  of  the  greatest  value,  sometimes  to  be  of  any  value,  it 
should  make  a  definite  comparison  with  earlier  books  on 
the    subject. 

It  takes  time  to  write  a  just,  discriminating,  and  yet  com- 
prehensive note,  but  better  a  dozen  of  this  kind  than  fifty  of  the 
sort  known  as  publishers'  notices.  These  are  written  to  aid  the 
sale  of  a  book  and,  therefore,  must  be  considered  biased.  The 
notes  from  many  houses  are  helpful  in  giving  information  regard- 
ing the  book's  content,  point  of  view,  and  treatment,  and  also 
the  author's  ability  to  write  it,  but  at  its  best  the  publisher's 
note  emphasizes  a  book's  strong  features  and  ignores  its  weak 
ones;  at  its  worst,  even  its  weak  features  are  made  to  pose  as 
shining  virtues.  The  public-library  selection  cannot  be  made 
wisely  on  such  incomplete  or  prejudiced  information,  yet  there 
are  still  librarians  to  be  found  who  buy  regularly  from  pub- 
lishers' and  booksellers'  announcements. 


BOOK  SELECTION  25 

The  chief  printed  aids  in  book  selection  are  too  famij^iar  to 
need  description.    They  are  listed  at  the  end  of  this  chapter. 

Book  reviews. — There  is  still  another  aid  in  selection  and 
one  which  is  doubtless  consulted  more  than  all  others,  if  all 
classes  of  libraries  are  taken  into  account,  and  that  is  the  book 
review.  Its  importance  warrants  a  fuller  consideration  than  its 
imitator,  the  publishers'  notice. 

The  book  reviews  of  today  fall  roughly  into  two  groups: 
those  that  treat  a  book  as  a  contribution  to  literature,  science, 
or  the  arts,  and  those  that  treat  it  as  a  piece  of  news.  The 
reviews  in  the  literary,  scientific,  and  technical  periodicals  are, 
or  should  be,  of  the  first  class,  those  in  the  newspapers  and  maga- 
zines (with  a  few  exceptions)  are  of  the  second  class.  The  latter 
review  may  be  as  scholarly  in  diction  as  the  former,  but  it  is 
largely  descriptive  in  character,  the  tone  is  usually  laudatory, 
and  no  attempt  is  made  at  criticism.  The  reviewer  who  treats 
a  book  as  a  contribution  to  literature  usually  shows  some  ear- 
marks of  scholarship,  a  sense  of  responsibility  to  the  task  in  hand, 
and  some  understanding  of,  and  more  than  a  perfunctory  interest 
in,  the  subject  under  discussion.  He  sometimes  even  gives  his 
reader  a  fair  idea  of  the  book,  but  this  is  not  to  be  expected.  He 
is  more  certain  to  give  his  own  idea  of  the  subject  in  hand  and  his 
conception  of  the  proper  way  to  treat  it — which  sometimes  is 
illuminating  and  sometimes  is  not. 

Both  these  kinds  of  reviews  are  useful  in  case  one  does  not 
take  the  first  class  too  seriously  and  does  not  fail  to  consider 
the  latter  as  news — ^placing  it  in  the  same  category  as  the  pub- 
lishers' notices.  The  news  review  often  gives  more  actual  in- 
formation as  to  the  subject-matter  of  a  book,  and  is  written 
more  nearly  from  the  point  of  view  of  the  average  reader,  than 
the  scholarly  review.  Herein  lies  its  usefulness,  but  unfor- 
tunately the  librarian  sometimes  fails  to  wait  for  the  latter 
(and  it  is  often  a  long  and  trying  wait)  to  make  sure  of  the 
book's  actual  worth. 


26  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

There  are  no  wholly  reliable  book  reviews  from  the  librarian's 
point  of  view,  w^hich  must  be  somewhat  at  variance  with  the 
expert's  or  college  professor's  point  of  view,  and  very  different 
from  that  of  the  magazine  and  newspaper  hackwriter.  The 
lack  of  balance  or  perspective,  or  the  inaccuracies  that  ban  a 
book  for  the  student  may  not  affect  its  value  for  public-library 
uses  (although  they  sometimes  do),  while  the  exhaustive 
analyses  and  subtle  reasonings  that  make  a  book  a  source  of 
true  joy  to  the  scholar  may  render  it  useless  to  the  average 
reader,  and  to  the  small  library.  In  the  case  of  fiction,  the 
literary  review  is  likely  to  be  as  misleading  as  the  popular  one. 
The  one  looks  at  a  novel  as  a  piece  of  literature,  usually  without 
regard  to  its  possible  effect,  the  other  regards  it  as  legitimate 
amusement  for  adults,  while  the  librarian  must  judge  it  from 
his  knowledge  of  a  multi-minded  public,  which,  having  widely 
varying  conceptions  of  what  is  interesting  and  uninteresting, 
moral  and  immoral,  funny  and  only  silly,  fine  sentiment 
and  "sentimental  bosh,"  subtle  analysis  and  "dull  reading," 
on  the  whole  agrees  remarkably  well  as  to  what  the  library 
should  or  should  not  have  on  its  shelves  for  its  young  people 
to  read. 

Sometimes  by  accident  an  ideal  librarian's  review  appears — 
one  which  gives  an  adequate  idea  of  the  book's  authority,  an 
analysis  of  the  subject-matter,  definite  statements  as  to  manner 
of  treatment,  bias  if  any,  style,  virtues  and  defects,  and  a  com- 
parison with  other  books  on  the  same  subject.  This  is  a  good 
deal  to  ask  of  a  reviewer  except  in  the  scholarly  and  professional 
papers,  which  offer  something  more  than  the  book  itself  in  pay- 
ment. 

In  spite  of  the  inadequacy  of  reviews  the  librarian  is  de- 
pendent on  them  to  some  extent.  Comparative  safety  lies  in 
selecting  as  many  of  the  most  reliable  review  periodicals  as  can 
be  afforded  and  reading  them  all.  In  this  way  one  gradually 
learns  the  peculiarities  of  each  and  allows  for  them.    This  is 


BOOK  SELECTION  27 

especially  true  of  periodicals  having  signed  reviews  contributed 
by  a  fairly  stable  corps  of  reviewers. 


AIDS  IN  BOOK  SELECTION 

LIBRARY  PUBLICATIONS 

A.L.A.  booklist,  a  guide  to  the  best  new  books,  1905-date.    A.L.A. 

pub.  bd.  $1  a  yr. 
A.L.A.  catalog;   8,000  volumes  for  a  popular  library;   prepared  by 

the  New  York  State  library  and  the  Library  of   Congress. 

1904.     Supt.  of  Docs.    $1. 
"AX.A.  catalog,  1904-1911.    Class  list:    3,000  titles  for  a  popular 

library;  ed.  by  Elva  L.  Bascom.     1912.    A.L.A.  pub.  bd.  $1 .  50. 
A.L.A.  Publishing  Board.     Foreign  book  Usts.     A.L.A.    pub.    bd. 

15C.-50C. 

Selected  lists  of  German,  Hungarian,  French,  Norwegian  and 

Danish,  Swedish,  Polish,  and  Italian  books. 
Brown,  Zaidee.    Buyinglist  of  books  for  small  libraries;  new  edition 

revised  by  Caroline  Webster.     1913.    A.L.A.  pub.  bd.  loc. 
Kroeger,  A.B.     Guide  to  the  study  and  use  of  reference  books. 

2d  ed.    1908.    A.L.A.  pub.  bd.  $1.50. 

Annual  supplements  by  I.  G.  Mudge,  printed  in  Library  journal; 

also  in  pamphlet  form,  1909-10,  25c.;    1911-13,  40c.    A.L.A. 

pub.  bd. 
New  York  libraries  (quarterly).    New  York  State  library,  Albany, 

25c.  a  yr. 

Contains  good  brief  lists. 
New  York  State  library.    A  selection  from  the  best  books  with 

notes  (annual  since  1897).    Pub.  by  library.     loc. 
Open  shelf:  books  added  to  the  Cleveland  Public  library  (monthly). 

Pub.  by  library. 


Good  notes. 

Pittsburgh.     Carnegie  library.     Classified  catalogs. 

Pub.  by  library. 

ist  series,  189 5-1902.    3V.    $12. 

2d  series,  1 902-1 906.     2V.    $5. 

3d  series,  1907-1911.    3V.     $8. 

28  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

Pittsburgh.    Carnegie  library.    Monthly  bulletin.    Pub.  by  library. 

25c.  a  yr. 

Good  notes. 
Pratt  Institute  library,  Brooklyn.    Technical  books  (annual  since 

1908).    Pub.  by  library. 

Graded  lists  with  good  notes. 
Sonnenschein,  W.  S.    The  best  books.    3d  ed.     1910-12.    pts.  1-2. 

Putnam.    $3. 50  each  (incomplete). 
Walter,  F.  K.    Periodicals  for  the  small  library.     1913.    A.L.A. 

pub.  bd.  IOC. 
Wilson,   Martha,   comp.    Books  for  high  schools.     1913.    A.L.A. 

pub.  bd.  50c. 

Contains  about  1,400  titles,  classed  and  annotated. 
Wisconsin  library  bulletin    (monthly).    Wis.  lib.   com.   Madison. 

60c.  a  yr. 

Contains  selected  lists. 
Wyer,  J.  I.,  Jr.    U.S.  government  docimients  in  small  libraries. 

New  ed.  1914.    A.L.A.  pub.  bd.  15c. 

TRADE  PUBLICATIONS 

Book  review   digest,    1906-date    (monthly).    H.   W.   Wilson   Co. 

$5  a  yr.    Yearly  cumulation  in  January  number,  $3. 
Cumulative  book  index,  1912-date  (bi-monthly).    H.  W.  Wilson  Co. 

$6  a  yr. 
English  catalogue  of  books  (annual).    R.  R.  Bowker  Co.    $1.50. 
Publishers'  weekly.    R.  R.  Bowker  Co.    $3  a  yr. 
Publishers'  trade  list  annual.    R.  R.  Bowker  Co.    $2. 
Reference  catalogue  of  current  literature   (English).     3V.     19 13. 

R.  R.  Bowker  Co.    $6. 
Severance,  H.  O.     Guide  to  the  current  periodicals  and  serials  of  the 

United  States  and  Canada.    3d  ed.     1914.    Wahr.    $3.50. 
United  States  catalog:  books  in  print  191 2.    H.  W.  Wilson  Co.    $36. 
U.S.  Superintendent   of  documents.    Catalogue  of  United  States 

public  documents  (monthly) .    Gov't  printing  office.    $1 .  10  a  yr. 

The  Price  lists  are  furnished  free  on  request. 

The  lists  of  current  publications  of  the  more  popular  depart- 
ments, like  the  Department  of  Agriculture,  are  also  very  useful. 


BOOK  SELECTION  29 

BOOK-REVIEWING  PERIODICALS 

American 

Bookman  (monthly).    New  York.    $2. 50  a  yr. 

Dial  (semi-monthly).    Chicago.    $2  a  yr. 

Nation  (weekly).    New  York.    $3  a  yr. 

New  York  times  review  of  books  (weekly).    New  York.    $1  a  yr. 

English 

Athenaeum  (weekly).    London.    £1,  los.  6d. 
Spectator  (weekly).    London.    £1,  125.  6d. 

Of  the  newspapers  and  periodicals  having  a  book  section,  or 
occasionally  reviewing  recent  literature,  the  most  reliable — ^judging 
from  their  use — seem  to  be  the  following: 

Atlantic  monthly.    Boston.    $4  a  yr. 

Boston  transcript  (Wednesday  and  Saturday  edition).     Boston. 
$3  ayr. 

Independent  (weekly).    New  York.    $3  a  yr. 

North  American  review  (monthly).    New  York.    $4  a  yr. 

Yale  review  (quarterly).    New  Haven,  Ct.    $3  a  yr. 

SPECIAL  SUBJECTS 

In  some  subjects  selection  can  be  made  wholly  from  general  lists; 
in  others  special  lists  are  valuable  aids,  either  in  furnishing  additional 
or  more  recent  titles  or  in  confirming  the  choice  of  titles  made  from 
the  general  lists.  The  date  of  the  special  list  should  be  carefully 
noted  and  the  more  recent  books  on  the  subject  should  be  examined 
if  possible.  The  source  of  special  lists  should  be  considered,  the 
selection  in  some  being  more  reliable  than  in  others. 

For  the  convenience  of  their  readers  large  libraries  print  many 
lists  which  include  practically  everything  the  library  contains  on  a 
subject.  Such  lists  are  useful  to  the  small  library  because  they 
show  what  material  is  available,  but  they  should  be  used  not  as  a 
selection,  but  as  a  basis  for  selection,  just  as  one  would  use  the  card 
catalog  of  a  large  library.  The  briefer  reference  lists  included  in 
library  bulletins  (and  sometimes  issued  separately  also)  usually 
represent  a  selection  and  are  often  very  helpful.  An  index  to  these 
was  compiled  by  the  Providence  Public  Library  and  published  by  the 


30  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

Boston  Book  Co.  in  1907  (25c.)  and  is  continued  annually  in  the 
Bulletin  of  bibliography.     (Boston  Book  Co.    $2.) 

Many  good  lists  are  published  also  by  organizations  and  insti- 
tutions of  all  kinds,  but  specially  those  of  the  propaganda  type. 

Good  lists  on  a  subject  are  often  to  be  found  in  new  books.  If 
they  are  selected  and  annotated  they  are  specially  valuable;  if  merely 
a  list  of  the  books  the  author  has  consulted  their  value  is  questionable. 

To  learn  of  new  bibliographies  and  lists  it  is  necessary  to  keep 
close  watch  of  library  periodicals.  The  largest  number  are  cited  in 
"Bibliographical  notes"  in  the  Library  journal. 

A  closely  selected  list  of  bibliographies  in  book  form  chosen  for 
small  libraries  is  found  in  the  A.L.A.  Catalog  igo4-iiy  under  016. 


CHILDREN'S  BOOKLISTS 

Arnold,  G.  W.,  comp.    Mother's  list  of  books  for  children.     1909. 

McClurg.    $1. 
Brooklyn  public  library.    Books  that  girls  like.     19 14.    Pub.  by 

library.    3c. 
Buffalo  public  library.    Graded  list   of  books.     1909.    Pub.   by 

library.     25c. 
Carnegie  library  of  Pittsburgh.    Catalogue  of  books  in  the  children's 

department.     1909.    Pub.  by  library.    $1. 
Annotated  catalogue  of  books  used  in  home  libraries  and 

reading  clubs.     1905.     Pub.  by  library.     25c. 
Cleveland  public  library.    Seventy-five  books  of  adventure  for  boys 

and  girls.     19 13.    Pub.  by  library.    3c. 
Harron,  J.  S.,  and  others.    Course  of  study  for  normal  school  pupils 

on  literature  for  children.     191 2.    Elm  Tree  Press,  Newark, 

N.J.    $1. 
Hewins,  C.  M.    Books  for  boys  and  girls.    Revised  edition.     1915. 

A.L.A.  pub.  bd.  20c. 
New  York  public  library.    Heroism:  a  reading  list  for  boys  and  girls. 

1914.    Pub.  by  library.     5c. 
Olcott,  F.  J.    The  children's  reading.     191 2.    Houghton.    $1.25. 
Power,  E.  L.    List  of  books  for  older  girls.     19 14.    St.  Louis  pub. 

lib.    5c. 


BOOK  SELECTION  31 

Utica  public  library.     Books  for  home  reading.    4th   ed.     1913. 

Pub.  by  library.     5c. 
Wilson,  Martha,  camp.    Minnesota  school  library  list:    books  for 

elementary    and    rural    schools.     19 13-14.    Minnesota    State 

Dept.  of  Education.     50c. 
Wisconsin  free  library  commission.    Suggestive  list  of  children's 

books  for  a  small  library,  compiled  by  H.  T.  Kennedy.     19 10. 

Pub.  by  com*n.    25c.    (New  edition  in  preparation.) 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Some  of  the  best  material  is  contained  in  English  library  journals. 
Excerpts  from  some  of  these  articles  can  be  found  in  the  cumulated 
volume  of  Library  work  (edited  by  A.  L.  Guthrie,  H.  W.  Wilson  Co., 
191 2,  $4) .  They  are  fully  indexed  in  Cannons'  Bibliography  of  library 
economy  (Stanley  Russell  &  Co.,  London,  1910,  7s.  6d.  net). 

BOOK  SELECTION:  PRINCIPLES  AND  PRACTICE 
Adams,  C.  F.    The  problem  of  the  small  public  library.    Library 

journal,  29:365-67,  July  1904. 
Andrews,  C.  W.    The  acquisition  of  books.    Public  libraries,  8 :  195- 

202,  May  1903. 
Askew,  S.  B.    The  place,  the  man  and  the  book.    A.L.A.  bulletin, 

150-57,  Sept.  1908;   also  N.Y.  libraries,  1:163-69,  Jan.  1909. 
Bacon,    Corinne.    Principles    of    book    selection.    N.Y.    libraries, 

1:3-6,  Oct.  1907. 
Bascom,  E.  L.    How  shall  we  select  our  books?    Iowa  library 

quarterly,  7:65-69,  Jan.-March  1914. 
Bostwick,  A.  E.    How  libraries  choose  books.    Public  libraries,  8: 

137-41,  April  1903. 
How   to   raise   the   standard  of  book   selection.      Public 

libraries,  14:163-67,  May  1909. 
Bowerman,  G.  F.    Principles  governing  the  choice  of  religious  and 

theological  books  for  public  libraries.    Library  journal,  30: 137- 

40,  March   1905. 
Cutter,  C.  A.    Should  libraries  buy  only  the  best  books  or  the  best 

books  that  people  will  read?    Library  journal,  26:70-72,  Feb. 

1901. 


32  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

Cutter,  W.  P.  Report  of  the  A.L.A.  Committee  on  bookbujring. 
A.L.A.  bulletin,  4:506-9,  March  1910. 

Foster,  W.  E.  Where  ought  the  emphasis  to  be  placed  in  library- 
purchases?    Library  journal,  29:229-37,  May  1904. 

Knowledge  of  books  (editorial).    N.Y.  libraries,  2:251,  July  191 1. 

Perry,  Bliss.  Libraries  and  the  community.  Brookline  (Mass.) 
public  library.  Dedication  exercises,  pp.  19-39. 

Shuman,  E.  L.  How  to  judge  a  book,  chap.  2,  "First  steps  in 
analysis." 

Slosson,  E.  E.  Books  no  public  library  should  be  without.  Inde- 
pendent, 65:1559-62,  24  Dec.  1908. 

Wright,  P.  B.  Some  book-buying  and  other  library  problems. 
Public  libraries,  13:165-68,  May  1908. 

Wynkoop,  Asa.  Expensive  books  and  the  small  library.  N.Y. 
libraries,  2 :  251-52,  July  1911. 

Outlines  and  references  for  library  institutes:!.  Stocking 

the  library;   part  i.  Selecting  books.    N.Y.  libraries,  4:82-88, 
May  19 14. 

Consult  for  many  good  references  not  included  in  this  limited 
selection.    Available  in  pamphlet  form. 

Selection  for  all  the  people  in  the  community.     N.Y. 

libraries,    4:2-5,    Nov.    1913. 

Waiting  ior  bargains.     N.Y.  libraries,  2:156,  Oct.  1910. 


Fiction 

Bacon,  Corinne.  What  makes  a  novel  immoral?  N.Y.  libraries, 
2:4-12,  Oct.  1909;  Wisconsin  library  bulletin,  6:83-95,  July- 
Aug.  1910.  Also  in  pamphlet  form  (revised  1914),  H.  W. 
Wilson  Co.     IOC. 

What  novels?    Public  libraries,  18:55-56,  Feb.  1913. 

Bascom,  E.  L.    Selection  of  fiction.    Wisconsin  library  bulletin,  9: 

34-40,  April  19 13. 
Bostwick,  A.   E.    Purchase   of   current   fiction.    Library  journal, 
28:C3i-33,  1903. 

The  librarian  as  a  censor.    Papers  and  proceedings  of  the 

30th  annual  meeting  of  the  A.L.A.,  1908,  pp.  1 13-21. 


BOOK  SELECTION  33 

Bostwick,  A.  E.  Uses  of  fiction.  Papers  and  proceedings  of  the 
29th  annual  meeting  of  the  A.L.A.,  1907,  pp.  183-87.    «► 

Rathbone,  F.  L.  Some  suggestions  for  fiction  purchase  and  circula- 
tion.   Library  journal,  28:110-12,  March  1903. 

Shuman,  E.  L.    How  to  judge  a  book,  chap.  9,  "Morality  in  art." 

Steiner,  B.  C.  Some  problems  concerning  prose  fiction.  Library 
journal,  28:033-35,  iQOS- 

Wadlin,  H.  G.  Ought  public  libraries  to  radically  restrict  their 
purchases  of  current  fiction?  Library  journal,  29:60-63,  Feb. 
1904. 

Children's  books 

References   are  given  in   chapter  xxix,   "Library  work  with 
children,"  pp.  33-34- 

Periodicals 

Archer,  William.    American  cheap  magazines.    Living  age,   265: 

579-87,  4  June  1910. 
Brett,  W.   H.    Use  of  periodicals.    Library  journal,    2o:Ci2-i6, 

Dec.  1895. 
Campbell,  J.  M.    Foreign  periodicals.     Mass.  library  club  bulletin, 

May  19 14,  pp.  62-69. 
Clarke,  E.   P.    Periodicals,   their  selection   and   purchase.     N.Y. 

libraries,  Aug.  19 14,  pp.  108-10. 
Massachusetts  library  club.   Committee  on  periodicals.     Report. 

Mass.  library  club  bulletin,  May  1914,  pp.  60-62. 
Nelson,  H.  L.    American  periodicals.    Dial,  28:349-52,  i  May  1900. 
Parham,   N.  E.    White  list   of  periodicals   for  a  public  library. 

Public  libraries  19:451,  Dec.  1914. 
Periodicals:  their  selection  and  use.    Library  occurrent,  Sept.  19 14, 

pp.  199-202. 
Rathbone,  F.  L.    Magazines  in  a  small  library.    Public  libraries, 

14:377-78,  June  1909. 
Walter,  F.  K.    Periodicals  for  the  small  library.     19 13.    A.L.A.  pub. 

bd.  IOC. 

EDITIONS 

^  - 

Expensive  books  and  the  small  library.    N.Y.  libraries,  2:251-52, 

July  1911. 
Fine  editions  of  children's  books.    Wisconsin  library  bulletin,  5 :  10- 

II,  Jan.  1909. 


/ 


34  MANUAL  OF  LIBRARY  ECONOMY 

Foster,  W.  E.     How  to  choose  editions  (Lib.  handbook  no.  8). 

A.L.A.  pub.  bd.  15c.;  also  N.Y.  libraries,  2:85-92,  April  1910. 
MacDonald,  K.    Choice  of  books  in  traveling  libraries.    Wisconsin 

library  bulletin,  2:39-43,  May  1906. 
Marvin,  C.    Children's  books  in  inexpensive  editions.    Wisconsin 

library  bulletin,  i :  54-56,  July  1905. 

PUBLISHERS 

Brett,  G.  P.    Book  publishing  and  its  present  tendencies.    Atlantic, 
111:454-62,  April  1913.    Discussion,  Dial,  54:401-3,  16  May 

1913. 
Browne,  F.  F.    American  publishing  and  publishers.    Dial,  28 :  340- 

43,  May  1900. 
Holt,  Henry.    Commercialization  of  literature.    Atlantic,  96:577- 

600,  Nov.  1905.    Discussion,  Bookman,  24:134-39,  Oct.  1906. 
Page,   W.   H.    An   intimate  view   of  publishing.    World's   work, 

4:2561-65,   Sept.    1902;    also   Library   journal,    27:0166-70, 

July  1902. 
Parsons,   E.     Growth  of   the  publishing  industry  in   the   United 

States.    World  today,  4:97-108,  Jan.  1903. 
Townsend,  R.  D.    The  American  publisher  and  his  service  to  litera- 
ture.   Outlook,  81:740-47,  25  Nov.  1905. 
Yard,  R.  S.    The  publisher.     1913.    Houghton.    $1  net. 

BOOK  NOTICES  AND  REVIEWS 

Book  "notices"  and  book  reviewing.    PubHshers'  weekly,  14  and  21 

Jan.  1911,  pp.  47-48,  76-77. 
Booming  books.    Publishers'  weekly,  i  July  191 1,  pp.  39-41. 
Burpee,  L.  J.    Are  reviews  reliable?    Library  journal,  33:101-2, 

March  1908. 
Collins,  J.  C.    Ephemera  critica,  pp.  3-44.     19 10.    Dutton.     $2  net. 
Haines,   H.   E.    Present  day  book  reviewing.    Independent,   69: 

1 104-6,  17  Nov.  1910;   also  Publishers'  weekly,  14  Jan.  191 1, 

p.  48-49. 
Morton,  A.  H.    The  reviewer  reviewed.    Critic  39:535-42,  Dec. 

1901. 


BOOK  SELECTION  35 

Periodicals  useful  for  book  reviews.    New  York  State  library  school. 

Bulletin  34,  19 13,  pp.  73-80. 
Perry,   Bliss.    Literary   criticism   in   American   periodicals.    Yale 

review,  n.s.  3:635-55,  July  1914. 
The  American  reviewer.    Yale  review,  n.s.  4:3-24,  Oct. 

1914. 
Rice,  W.    Practical  book  reviewing  and  manuscript  reading  from  the 

inside.    A.L.A.  Bulletin,  4:630-33,  Sept.  1910. 
"Tainted"  book  reviews.    Dial  56:97, 173,  i  Feb.  and  i  March  1914. 
Value  of  book  reviews.    N.Y.  libraries,  3:3-4,  Oct.  191 1. 


PUBLICATIONS  OF  THE 
AMERICAN  LIBRARY  ASSOCIATION 

PUBLISHING  BOARD 
78  E.  Washington  St.,  Chicago,  III. 


A.L.A.  Catalog,  1904-11.     Edited  by  Elva  L.  Bascom.    Cloth,  $1.50, 

postpaid. 
Guide  to  reference  books.    Edited  by  Alice  B.  Kroeger.    Revised 

and  enlarged  edition.    Cloth,  SI. 50  (postage.  11  cents). 
Cataloging  for  small  libraries.    By  Theresa  Hitchler.    New  and  greatly 

enlarged  edition.    Cloth,  SI. 25. 
Hints  to  small  libraries.    By  Mary  W.  Plummer.    Cloth,  75  cents. 
Selected  list  of  music  and  books  about  music  for  public  libraries. 

By  Louisa  M,  Hooper.    Paper,  25  cents. 
Aids  in  library  work  with  foreigners.    Compiled  by  Marguerite  Reid 

and  John  G.  Moulton.    Paper,  10  cents. 

LISTS  OP  FOREIGN  BOOKS 

Selected  list  of  Hungarian  books.    Paper,  15  cents. 

Selected  list  of  German  books.    Paper,  50  cents. 

List  of  French  books.    Paper,  25  cents. 

List  of  Norwegian  and  Danish  books.    Paper,  25  cents. 

French  fiction.    Paper,  5  cents. 

List  of  Swedish  books.    Paper,  25  cents. 

List  of  Polish  books.    Paper,  25  cents. 

LIBRARY  HANDBOOKS 

Intended  to  help  the  hbrarians  of  small  libraries  in  the  various 
details  of  library  work. 
I.  Essentials  in  Ubrary  administration.    By  Miss  L.  E.  Stearns.    Paper, 

25  cents. 
3.  Management  of  traveling  libraries.    By  Edna  D.  Bullock.    Paper, 

15  cents. 

5.  Binding  for  small  libraries.    Paper,  15  cents.    Suggestions  prepared 

by  the  A.L.A.  committee  on  bookbinding. 

6.  Mendmg  and  repair  of  books.    By  Margaret  W.  Brown.    Paper, 

15  cents. 

7.  U.S.  Government  documents  in  small  libraries.    By  J.  I.  Wyer,  Jr. 

Paper,  15  cents. 

8.  How  to  choose  editions.    By  W.  E.  Foster.    Paper,  15  cents. 

9.  Normal  library  budget.    By  0.  R.  H.  Thomson.    Paper,  15  cents. 


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